Don't Leave Me Like This
by Obsessive Cato Disorder
Summary: Clove's life is slowly disconnecting her, but Cato continues to hold her through it, begging her to stay with him. Cato/Clove, Cato's POV, written to Haunted by Kelly Clarkson.


**Author: Obsessive Cato Disorder**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cato, nor do I own Clove, or Katniss, or Peeta, or anything in The Hunger Games trilogy. All of it belongs to the amazing Suzanne Collins. I own a cat, though. She doesn't belong to Suzanne Collins. Sorry.**

**POV: Cato**

**Song: Haunted by Kelly Clarkson **

**Pairing: Cato/Clove **

**Author's note: I'm not sure if the song fits perfectly, but I think it's decent enough. As you may possibly know, I have a slight infatuation with Cato. Cato/Clove is my favorite pairing. Just thought I'd tell you. Enjoy. **

I'm pacing in the clearing that I'm instructed to wait in, sword clenched tightly in my hand, ready to strike anything that challenges me—tribute or animal.

She _insisted_ to go alone. I would've done it myself if she hadn't been so adamant about it. Damn it, Clove. You would have been _safer_ here.

All of this was her plan; she'll go out and retrieve the pack, maybe slaughter a few tributes, and I'll be waiting to rush in when she calls for backup.

No. _She won't need backup_. She'll be fine.

But I can't shake that feeling that has somehow weighed itself upon my chest. Clove shouldn't have gone out there alone. _I don't want to be the only tribute going back to District 2._ Clove has to go with me. She just has to.

"_I'll be fine, Cato," Clove said to me, jokingly punching my shoulder, "I'll call you if I need help, okay?" She started heading in the direction of the Cornucopia, but turned back to me as she was about to walk behind a boulder. A malicious smile was spread across her face, "Keep an eye out for Lover Boy. I'll take care of that Twelve girl." And she disappeared behind the massive rock, knife clasped in her hand. _

A few minutes ticked by in which I tried to clear the thought of Clove being brutally murdered out of my head. I impatiently sat on the ground, taking cover behind some bushes for camouflage, and carefully lay my sword in the soft leaves beside me.

_Why is she taking so long? _I thought as I absentmindedly picked up a rock about the size of my hand, casually tossing it into the air and catching it.

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

My head whips around as I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps crashing into the ground.

Without thinking, I get to my feet and shout, "Clove!"

The footsteps stop.

Silence.

My brow furrows as I realize how dimwitted and revealing I had just been.

I instinctively grab my sword off the ground and begin stomping in the direction I had heard the sound of footsteps. If that wasn't Clove, then who would have—

Then I catch a glimpse of fiery red hair and wide amber eyes staring at me—like a deer in headlights. It's that District Five girl.

Rage flares inside me as I charge her, but instead of swinging my sword and chopping off her head, I tried to beat her skull in with the stone I had clenched in my hand.

The rock cuts through the air as she ducks under my hand and attempts to run away from me, but I grasp the back of her shirt and throw her to the ground, abandoning my sword as I do so, and raise the rock to smash it into her head.

"The Gamemakers better get that cannon ready, huh?" I smirk.

She gasps, tightly shutting her amber eyes and silently accepting the fact that I'm going to end her life.

"_Cato!" _

I freeze just as the rock is about to make contact with her skull.

My breath catches in my throat. _Was that…_

"_Cato!"_

Clove's frantic screams echo in my head as I scramble to get to my feet, let the rock fall to the ground, and grab my sword. I point it at the District Five girl, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible, "Go! Get out of here! _Go!" _

Her bottom lip trembles slightly and she gave me a small unnoticeable nod, knowing that if I ever see her again, I won't let her get away. She gets to her feet and bolts, heading deeper into the forest, green pack tucked tightly under her arm.

I turn on my heel and run as fast as my feet will carry me. _"Clove!" _I bellow as I heedlessly tore through whatever was blocking my path, hoping that she'd respond to my calls. _"Clove!"_

When I finally reach the clearing with the Cornucopia, I spot a fallen figure on the ground beside it, black hair swirling around in the pool of crimson around her head. A knife lay adjacent to her.

"No…" I exhale.

I feel my stomach drop as I realize the girl on the ground is Clove.

"_No!" _I force myself to move the cinder blocks that have become my feet, dragging them along, closer and closer to Clove's fallen form.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Thresh disappear into some tall grass with my backpack tucked under his arm, but I keep running towards Clove.

_Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead._

"Clove! …Clove!" I drop to my knees and kneel beside her body, letting my sword fall to the ground next to me, and I instantly grab her by the shoulders and lay her in my arms. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me, Clove. Now like this… Please stay with me…"

She's still alive, but the deep indent in the side of her head tells me it won't be for long.

I gently caress her head and hold it against my shoulder, careful not to touch the fracture in her skull. The side of her face has become a ravine for her blood. I wipe away a few droplets before they can enter her eyes.

Those dark, beautiful eyes that have once been full of life and lust for danger now stare blankly ahead, unaware of what's happening. The same eyes that I would catch gazing at me when I'd turn around. She'd look down, embarrassed, her dark hair falling loosely in front of her face.

_Who did this to you, Clove? Who hurt you like this? I'll kill them, Clove. I'll them for you. I'll kill all of them for you. _

Clove is shaking uncontrollably in my arms—or maybe that's just me?

"It's okay, I'm here… You're okay, Clove…" I whisper to her, my lips brushed softly against her temple.

The night before the Games began, I had held her in the same position and whispered the same things to her, but she was still very much alive that night.

"_Cato!" Clove barged into my_ _room in the middle of the night and fell into my arms, burying her face in my chest, sobbing hysterically. She crumpled my shirt in her hands and held on tightly, refusing to let go. I'm not sure if I wanted her to. "Cato!" She cried out, my shirt becoming damp with her tears._

_This is the first time I've ever seen her cry—I used to think she was unable to… until now, that is. _

"_Clove," I said sympathetically, "Clove, what's wrong?" _

_She lets go of me and steps back, tears still streaming down her cheeks, and looks up into my eyes. "Cato – I – I – I had a bad dream, Cato!"_

"_What happened in it?" I placed my hand on her shoulder and guided her to my bed so she could sit down. I sat beside her._

"_W – we were in the arena and it c – came down to just the two of us," She inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath, "I don't want that to happen, C – Cato! I don't want to lose you!" And she was hugging me again, sobbing into my shoulder as I gently held her head there. "That's my worst nightmare…" She whispered quietly and hugged me tighter. _

_I swallowed hard, "Me too… Losing you…" _

_Clove sniffled and breathed, "What if it does come down to the two of us, Cato? What should we do? I c – can't kill you… I could never…" _

"_I'm not sure, Clove…" I sighed into her soft dark hair, "But we'll figure it out, okay?"_

_She responded with another series of hysteric sobs and I held her until she fell asleep. "It's okay, I'm here… You're okay, Clove…" I kept telling her, even though we both knew that it wasn't okay. _

Clove's breath was becoming rigid and shallow, but I refused to let go of her—I didn't want to. I never could. I'll hold on forever if I have to.

The blood had stopped flowing from the side of her head and was now matted into her long hair; large dark eyes now observed mine and a single tear trickled down the side of her cheek.

She opened her mouth slightly, as if she was trying to say something, but was too weak to summon the words.

"_Shhh…"_ I swallow the lump in my throat, already dreading my next words, "Go to sleep, Clove…"

She exhaled once and was gone, nothing but a lifeless body in my arms.

_Clove…_

The sudden burning sensation of tears was unexpected. I don't cry—and I _won't_ cry.

I gave her one last inconspicuous hug, _"I'm so sorry, Clove…"_ I whisper to her as I lay her body down in the soft grass and close her eyelids.

I get to my feet, trying to keep my face as straight as possible, refusing to cry on national television.

I know one thing for sure—this isn't about bringing pride to my District anymore. It's about avenging Clove's death.

_I'll kill them. I'll kill them all. _

Snatching my sword off the ground, I inhale deeply, taking my last look at Clove's body before she's taken away from me for good.

She looks as if she may be asleep. I could have believed it if not for the indent in her skull and the pool of crimson on the ground.

Exhaling, I turn my back to her and sprint towards the long grass Thresh had disappeared into, trying to ignore the aching weight that has become my heart.

_Clove…_

**Not sure if I like it… but tell me what you think anyways. **


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